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The NS-Axis of the Icelandic Plateau

The NS-axis of the Icelandic Plateau includes Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull. Around that axis, symmetry if found for the Greenland-Iceland Ridge and the Iceland-Faroe Ridge respectively. The eastern and western outposts of Icelandic volcanoes are found equadistant from the NS-axis, and that point (marked here with ´R´) is where the division line between the large scale lower mantle convection rolls cross the NS-axis. The volcanoes are marked with ‘S’ (Snaefellsjökull) and ´T´(Snaefell). The line S-T-R also marks the turn of basic tectonic alignment from being north-easterly to northerly. The famous volcanoes of Hekla (U) and Eyjafjallajökull (V) are found on the NS-axis. All this symmetry is astonishing, and studying it can make it easier for us to understand the forces behind volcanic activity and tectonic drift.

The ridges around Iceland marked on a Google Earth Map.

The symmetry of the two ridges of Greenland-Iceland and Iceland-Faroe has already been explained. (See last post here.) Point A on the NS-axis is equadistant, firstly from B and C, and secondly from D and E. Note that D and E are found on the same latitude. The double symmetry around the NS-axis, for the volcanic outposts on land, and for the elliptical form of the Iceland Plateau, and for the two ridges over to Greenland ane the Faroe Islands, is quite spectacular. As previously mentioned, the same system shows the resemblance between Reykjanes Ridge and Kolbeinsey Ridge.

The information about the ridges around Iceland is based on the article ´The Greenland–Iceland–Faroe Ridge Complex´ https://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/447/1/127 by Hjartarson, Erlendsson and Blischke.

Tectonic drift vectors are inserted for reference, according to the Icelandic Land Survey report: https://www.lmi.is/static/files/utgefid_efni/Maelingar/isnet_endurmael_2016_skyrsla.pdf by Valsson.

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